


(I Know) You're A Star

by jusdefraise



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Character Death, M/M, Old Age, this is sad im sorry in advance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-05 21:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13396512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jusdefraise/pseuds/jusdefraise
Summary: Chanyeol makes a promise and Yixing loves his smile.





	(I Know) You're A Star

**Author's Note:**

> the summary doesn't make much sense but i hope it will after you read. i don't recommend this to someone who is sensitive to death. 
> 
> this is extremely unbeta'd and i literally wrote this on a whim so please ignore any grammar/punctuation mistakes and/or typos!
> 
> i wrote this thinking of my step-grandpa, who passed away last month, and my dad, who passed away just about nine years ago. this work is dedicated to them.
> 
> title is from the song "best part" by daniel caeser ft h.e.r
> 
> enjoy.

Yixing holds Chanyeol’s warm, wrinkly hand between his own two, careful of the needle sticking out of it. He tried to roll his wheelchair as close to the bed as possible, but it’s not close enough for him. He had gotten in trouble with the nurse in charge for trying to squeeze himself in bed next to his husband.

“What are you thinking about over there, old man?”

A soft voice pulls him out of his thoughts and he looks up to see Chanyeol smiling at him. He still has the brightest, most beautiful smile Yixing has ever seen.

“Thinking about how that woman yelled at me earlier,” Yixing mumbles and runs his thumb over Chanyeol’s wrist. Chanyeol laughs (and lets out a watery cough) and shakes his head. 

“You’re too old to be getting in trouble, Xing-ge,” Chanyeol says teasingly, running a (shaky) hand over his white, barely there hair. “I won’t be here to get you out of your little sticky situations anymore.”

At this, Yixing fell silent, the small smile he had on his face quickly slipping off like it was never there. “Don’t say things like that, Chanyeollie,” he whispers brokenly.

Chanyeol continues smiling, eyes welling with tears. “I woke up this morning and I was so incredibly thankful. I think that’s why I know that,” he musters up enough strength to give Yixing’s hand a light squeeze. “I won’t wake up tomorrow, baby.”

Yixing lets out a heart-wrenching sob, small body shaking and filled with pain. “I’m the older one,” he cries, “I’m not the one who’s supposed to watch the other die!”

Chanyeol uses his other hand to pat Yixing’s head and wipe his tears, his own tears streaming down his face. “Don’t cry, honey. Please don’t cry.”

Yixing looks up and into Chanyeol’s deep brown eyes. They still look as beautiful and youthful as they did when they were in their 20s. Now, 63 years later, Yixing hopes this isn’t the last time he’ll see them shine.

“Promise me you’ll wait for me, my love,” Yixing sniffles, wiping his runny nose on his (Chanyeol’s) sweater. “Promise me you won’t forget about me.”

Chanyeol lets a few more tears slip before bringing Yixing’s hand to his lips, pressing a feathery kiss on his knuckles. 

“I promise. I promise to love you just as much in the next life as I did in this one. It was an absolute-” he chokes around the word, a cough racking through him until he sees stars, “an absolute pleasure to love you, Zhang Yixing.”

They spend the rest of the evening holding each other’s hands, retelling stories of their youth. They laugh at each other when they mix up stories and cry when they come to terms that this is their last night together. 

At 4 o’clock the next morning, Yixing wakes up to a small tap on his shoulder. Blinking, he sits up and looks at the nurse who woke him up. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” he begins quietly, “But, your husband passed away just a few minutes ago. I was going to wake you, but he didn’t want me to. He had me write you a note instead. I’m sorry for your loss.”

The nurse hands Yixing a note, and, through his tears, he reads it to himself. 

 

_Yixing ge,_

_You fell asleep somewhere between the story of the time you cried hearing our youngest daughter had gotten pregnant and the time our crazy son had fractured his arm trying to patch our roof. You still look like an angel when you sleep. It’s almost like you should be the one in heaven and not me._

_I don’t want you to be sad. I want you to be happy. Think about all the good times we shared together. We’ve lasted 63 years together! 63 years, four kids, six grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. How amazing is that? Don’t you dare think that death will stop me from loving you. I’m still your husband on the other side._

_It’s okay to cry and it’s okay to miss me. I miss you already._

_I’m getting really tired now. This nice young man named Jongin is helping me write this note. Isn’t he just the prettiest? He looks like your type, haha._

_I love you so much, Zhang Yixing. I am so grateful to have spent my life loving you._

_Yours, now and onwards,_

_Chanyeollie._

 

Yixing sobs and holds the paper to his chest, closing his eyes as the nurses cover Chanyeol’s body with a white cloth. The young nurse, Jongin, crouches down and gently holds Yixing to his chest, almost as if he was made of glass.

“Your children are on their way, Mr. Zhang. Would you like to wait here or in the waiting room?” he says softly after Yixing’s cries are just soft sniffles. 

“I’ll wait here,” Yixing says, wiping his tears away with a shaky hand. “Thank you for being such a kind young man, Jongin.”

Jongin smiles and his eyes shimmer with tears. “I noticed as I was writing the letter how Mr. Park speaks with so much love. It sounds almost crazy, but he sounded as if he had so much love in him that it came out through his voice. It took us a while to write because he kept telling me stories about you two. He loves you so much, Mr. Zhang. You only ever see a love like that every few hundred years.”

Yixing smiles, patting Jongin’s face and turning to look at the now empty bed. “Chanyeollie… He was the kind of person that you had no choice but to love with your whole heart.”

Another nurse knocks on the door and Jongin quietly excuses himself. Yixing stares at the bed, hand still clenching the note. 

“Your children are here,” Jongin says softly, “Your son said he’d take care of the paperwork and your daughters are on their way up to see you. Would you like anything else before I step out?”

Yixing looks up at Jongin and tilts his head.

“Did he smile when he was speaking with you?”

The question has clearly surprised Jongin, his eyes widening slightly before he sighs sadly.

“Yes, sir. I don’t think he ever stopped smiling the entire time we were talking,” Jongin answered. He stays stands next to Yixing, hand resting on the handlebar of the wheelchair, knowing there’s a follow up question. 

“What did it look like?” Yixing whispers, gaze back on the empty bed.

Jongin paused, wanting to choose his words carefully. He knows this means everything to Yixing.

“It looked like… It was such a blindingly happy smile. Every star in the sky turned and looked at him last night.”

Yixing nods, not bothering to wipe his face as he wept. “Thank you, Jongin.”

Jongin leaves the room quietly and Yixing knows he only has a few minutes left before his daughters come to cry with him.

“Chanyeollie,” he says out loud, “Wherever you are… I hope you keep your promise.”

The door creaks open. “Daddy?” He ignores his youngest’s call.

“I love you, now and onwards.”

**Author's Note:**

> chanyeol dies of an infection in his lungs found much too late for the doctors to do anything about it. yixing dies three years after, peacefully, in his sleep. chanyeol is the first person to hold his hand on the other side.
> 
>  
> 
> be my friend on [twitter.](https://twitter.com/fraisekji)


End file.
